SACRAMENTO, Calif. — While many families are preparing for Easter egg hunts and Sunday service, let’s not forget the other religious holidays that take place in April.
Inside the Chabad of Greater Sacramento, chicken is cooking and Rabbi Mendy is preparing to hand out matzah for Passover.
“This is known as the unleavened bread and it doesn’t rise. It takes less than 18 minutes to make,” says Rabbi Mendy.
In Judaism, the Passover holiday commemorates the Hebrew's liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “Passing Over” when the lord punished the land of Egypt.
“Every Passover God gives us the ability to be free of our ego and of our limitation and of our anxiety. It’s like pressing the reset button,” says Rabbi Mendy.
Passover begins Friday and for eight days the only bread they are allowed to eat is Matza which symbolizes suffering. The holiday ends with the meal of Messiah, which is a feast accompanied by prayer.
Since the crescent moon first appeared this April, the Muslim community has been celebrating Ramadan.
At the Masjid Al-Rahman in Arden Arcade, Mohamed Ibrahim and other members at the mosque have been fasting for nearly two weeks now.
“From the daylight to sunset you can’t eat, drink, smoke, or say bad things out of your mouth,” says Ibrahim.
Based on a lunar calendar, Ramadan is a month-long celebration of when the Prophet Muhammad received the initial revelations for the Quran, which is the holy book for Muslims.
Fasting, prayer, and a month of good deeds lead up to a celebration and feast. The holiday is a reminder of self-restraint.
“It’s a way to feel good about yourself that’s Ramadan,” says Ibrahim.
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